"that crazy woman" meets the cbc

In light of a recent post by my pal ALPF and the subsequent conversation (see the comments for details), I thought this might be of interest. Doug Ireland speaks the truth when he says:
Ann Coulter is a loudmouth ignoramus who spouts her outrageous nationalist inaccuracies on American television with little challenge from the empty talking heads who interview her. But she finally found someone to stand up to her, in Canada--and she was exposed for the arrogant fool she is. Interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Company's Bob McKeown for the investigative TV broadcast "The Fifth Estate," which devoted an hour-long January 26 special to how U.S. media have been highjacked by conservative bullies, Coulter was berating Canada for not sending troops to Iraq when she displayed her empty-headedness in the following exchange:
Click here for more fun.

Also, Bob Herbert helps expose the national disgrace at Guantánamo Bay.

Comments

  1. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 08:55

    The scary part is people around where I live (Southern Alberta, the Heart of Conservative Canada) seem to think that Ann Coulter is right more often then not... And one of my "Acquaintances" even went as far as saying CBC must have played with the video or edited it somewho because Ann is never wrong!

    I can't imagine what is going to happen when they can actually watch Fox news on a regular basis.

    Maybe I should move too...

    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  2. laura k8 February 2005 at 09:02

    Sounds like. Either to Vancouver, or perhaps the Moon...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rognar8 February 2005 at 09:22

    I live in southern Alberta and I've never met anyone who has ever heard of Ann Coulter. It's true, southern Alberta is politically conservative, but that doesn't mean we're a bunch of dumbass, redneck hicks the way the Toronto media establishment portrays us. In fact, Calgary has the highest percentage of university graduates of any major metropolitan centre.

    ReplyDelete
  4. laura k8 February 2005 at 09:31

    Hmm, hit a sore spot, eh?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rognar8 February 2005 at 09:44

    It happens all the time. Alberta is one of the richest provinces in Canada and contributes so much to other provinces in terms of equalization payments and yet all it ever gets in return is derision. I wasn't born here and I didn't grow up here. In fact, I spent the first 34 years of my life in eastern Canada thumbing my nose at Alberta while allowing Albertans to subsidize my very expensive university education. It was only when I moved here a few years ago that I realized how ignorant I was. Since then, my tolerance for unfounded criticism of Alberta has declined dramatically.

    ReplyDelete
  6. laura k8 February 2005 at 10:58

    Interesting. So much of what we (all) know about each other is based on stereotype and caricature.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 11:00

    Rob, I understand where you are coming from and it is true that the major centres of Alberta (Calgary, and especially Edmonton) are not as conservative or "RedNeck" as the rest of the province. However, that being said...

    I live in Lethbridge, Alberta (Pop 70K) and I deal with people who live in the smaller communities that are around the city. They are overwhelmingly conservative and also see a large amount of US TV because half of the farmers out here have US dishes (grey market). I know quite a few people who think that Fox news is the best thing to ever happen to the world.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 11:01

    That was me btw...

    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 12:59

    ALPF Here:

    I had no idea who she was before I sent the link to her story. Now that I read more about her on the net, calling her just "crazy" was wrong. I should have called her a "demented lunatic". Wow is she nuts!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kyle_From_Ottawa8 February 2005 at 13:19

    It's funny that Rob has taken on the stereotypical view of the east, yet hates the stereotypes about the west.

    Toronto really isn't as bad as everyone else claims, yet we all adopt that philosophy. I think its something about human nature, we like to generalize everything into nice simple little categories that don't reflect on reality. It also seems to be in our nature to form strong opinions on stuff we have no personal knowledge of, only second or thirdhand knowledge.

    Anyway, a quick fact:

    There are approximately 8.5 million taxpayers in Ontario and Alberta. They pay an average of $9000 each a year in income taxes, and probably closer to $14000 when you factor in all taxes. Out of each taxpayer in Ontario and Alberta, $1172 of their taxes are used for transfers to other provices, which means each taxpayer in Ontario and Alberta is giving 0.0078 cents to each person in all other provinces and territories.

    ReplyDelete
  11. laura k8 February 2005 at 14:19

    ALPF: Oh yeah!!! :)

    Re human nature, stereotyping, generalizing, I agree it does seem to be what humans do. Some of us are aware of it and try really hard to avoid it - which can go a long way, I find - but no one is immune.

    People base beliefs and opinions on all kinds of nonsense. Coincidence is taken as proof of causalty. One-time experience is generalized into a rule, and everything else becomes the exception.

    ReplyDelete
  12. laura k8 February 2005 at 14:25

    There are tons of misunderstandings about taxes here, too. Government social programs end up costing each taxpayer a few dollars a year, 60% of our taxes go to the military, but what do you hear conservatives complaining about...?

    ReplyDelete
  13. laura k8 February 2005 at 14:40

    There are tons of misunderstandings about taxes here, too. Government social programs end up costing each taxpayer a few dollars a year, 60% of our taxes go to the military, but what do you hear conservatives complaining about...?

    ReplyDelete
  14. laura k8 February 2005 at 14:49

    And p.s.: Please don't use my last comment as an excuse to discuss and debate taxes and government spending. You guys have enough space to do that over at Kyle's blog. Thanks. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rognar8 February 2005 at 15:03

    The only claim I have ever made about eastern Canada is that it thwarts the political aspirations of the West. This is not a stereotype, it's a fact. I'm from the East, I grew up there and spent most of my life there. I know what the average Quebecer or Nova Scotian thinks about Alberta. Heck, if I forget, I can call my family back in Halifax and ask them.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rognar8 February 2005 at 15:14

    By the way, hiding that figure of $1174 into the other figure of 0.0078 cents doesn't change the fact that the average Albertan pays over a thousand bucks a year to other provinces.

    ReplyDelete
  17. laura k8 February 2005 at 15:15

    Why does that bother you? Or, more to the point, why do you stay in Alberta if you feel so put upon?

    ReplyDelete
  18. laura k8 February 2005 at 15:33

    Never mind. Re-reading the comments, I think I answered my own question. You like Alberta, but you are tired of Alberta-bashing, when Albertans contribute so much to Canada. Please disregard circular logic of last question.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 15:34

    I am a proud supporter of transfer payments, I think that Alberta and Ontario have a responsibility (as good Citizens of Canada) to help insure that everyone has the same opportunities as everyone else. Alberta has massive energy wealth, it would unfair to allow other provinces to gain from our advantage.

    If anything we should be complaining to our Provincial Gov't that has decided that we should give our oilsands oil away with royalties of about 1% (Norway and Sweden charge about 30%) if we even went to the average of about 10% royalties we would collect enough money to never pay a cent of tax and still be able to pay for healthcare. What do you think the problem in Alberta is? the rising cost of healthcare? or the generous gift that our province is giving the large oil companies at our expense?

    This is getting off topic... but I think we have bigger things to worry about then losing some money to provinces that need some help.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous8 February 2005 at 15:34

    Doh! That was me again

    Peter

    ReplyDelete
  21. Rognar8 February 2005 at 15:43

    I don't have any problem with transfer payments either. I benefited from them myself when I was a student. I just think a little gratitude wouldn't hurt.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kyle_From_Ottawa9 February 2005 at 06:30

    I understand Rob's point, but its odd when you compare Ontario and Alberta. Ontario is dumped on by everybody, including Albertans despite Ontario being the economic heart of Canada, but Ontarians couldn't care less about what everyone else thinks.

    Maritimers don't give gratitude because the comments from Ontario and Alberta are along the lines of "I'm paying for you lazy welfare bums".

    The other thing is the equilazation formula is out of whack. A place like Nefoundland or PEI is easy to understand, yet Quebec and BC also fit in that category despite having the second and third largest cities in Canada and large economies. Its due to pure politics, and its very divisive to Canadians.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Rognar9 February 2005 at 07:13

    It's easy for Ontario to shrug off the concerns of other provinces because it controls the levers of power. If Ontarions decide they no longer want to shoulder their burden, they have but to change the government and their wishes are fulfilled. Alberta has no such option. In effect, it is like the situation with the American colonies in 1776, taxation without representation.

    ReplyDelete
  24. laura k9 February 2005 at 07:20

    Maybe you guys should discuss this elsewhere?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Rognar9 February 2005 at 07:28

    No problem. Although, it is a microcosm of the national debate you will find in this country. In the US, your cultural divide is really urban vs. rural, in Canada it is East vs. West and French vs. English. It will eventually drive you insane as it has done to all of us. :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. laura k9 February 2005 at 07:34

    Oh yes, I saw that this reflects a national issue. And I'm not kicking you guys out of this thread. I'm just suggesting that it's an endless circle and you've each made your points a few times...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Kyle_From_Ottawa9 February 2005 at 07:41

    Your right L-girl, that's the end of that on this blog, though'll you'll hear a whole lot of it when you move up here. Its one of those endless circular debates where we say the same thing over and over and over again, without changing our positions or ending the discussion. I think that's human nature too.

    ReplyDelete
  28. laura k9 February 2005 at 08:28

    Eyup. I agree.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

sharia

This morning I see that Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, is banning the Muslim religious court known as sharia . This ends months of debate about whether sharia would be legal and binding in Ontario. I'm quoting at length from the story in today's Toronto Star because many US readers are likely not up on this. In a surprise announcement that caught both supporters and opponents of sharia law off guard, Premier Dalton McGuinty says he will move quickly to ban all religious arbitration in the province. McGuinty made the announcement in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press yesterday after months of debate and controversy surrounding use of Islamic sharia law in family arbitration. "I've come to the conclusion that the debate has gone on long enough," the premier told the news agency. "There will be no sharia law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians." The announcement prompted t
Read more

can of worms

I'm opening a sticky subject here, my need to understand causing me to throw caution to the wind. It's about Alberta. Alberta vs. the rest of the Canada. The Globe And Mail runs something about Alberta's gripes every day, and I try to follow along. If it weren't for wmtc's resident Albertan , and the ensuing arguments in comments, I would've had no warning. It's not something Americans know about. As is, observing for more than a year, I have only the smallest of clues. Here's what I know. Please pardon my ignorance and oversimplification, but I have to start somewhere. The province of Alberta is rich, because it has oil. The province of Alberta is conservative, relative to the rest of Canada. Hmm. Funny how those two go together. Because of its great oil wealth, Alberta revenue helps fund services in the rest of Canada. (These are transfer payments?) Apparently many Albertans resent this. They want to keep Alberta's money in Alberta. They don't
Read more

low confidence

I'm excited about today's no-confidence vote . Only three months after moving here, we'll get to see a government fall, a campaign, and an election, in a system very different from what we're accustomed to. Even the expression "the government will fall" strikes us as oddly dramatic and revolutionary. My sense of current Canadian politics, for what it's worth, tells me that very little will change from the upcoming election. I'd be surprised if the Liberals didn't win. So it's kind of cool to see this happening without a lot at stake. On a semi-tangential note, have I mentioned I'm completely down with "Corner Gas"? Excellent show; I love the deadpan humour. (Great website, too; check it out .) So was that really Finance Minister Ralph Goodale ragging on Brent Butt's camera last Saturday night?
Read more